COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M University President R. Bowen Loftin revealed that the university overshot in offers made to high school seniors and is preparing to take in about 1,000 more Aggies than expected in the 2013 freshman class.

The school received about 10 percent more applications than it did in 2012 and wanted to enroll about 8,700 freshman.

"We messed up, and more people than we expected, based on historical data, said 'yes,'" Loftin said. "The numbers I'm hearing on the freshman class are about between 9,500 and 9,700 most likely.

"This will be the biggest jump ever in our history in terms of the size of the incoming class from year to year. And that will put a strain on us as well," he added.

Loftin spoke to and answered questions from about 150 staff members for nearly an hour and a half at a forum called "The university moving forward."

It was Loftin's first update to the body in about two years, said Lisa Blum, chairperson of the University Staff Council.

Loftin also offered updates on the Kyle Field construction and funding, detailing plans to blow up the west side of the stadium for the reconstruction project.

"Once we finish the fall '14 season, the entire west side will come down," Loftin said. At one point there will be 2,000 workers on the construction.